Point of Care Testing Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

General

1. To be a member of the Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust POCT Team working across all Trust sites.
2. To facilitate safe POCT practice by educating and promoting end-user compliance with POCT Standard Operating Procedures.
3. To monitor performance of POCT devices and facilitate correct functioning by undertaking minor maintenance and troubleshooting procedures.
4. To support the implementation of the policies and procedures authorised and ratified by the Trust POCT Group and the Medical Devices Steering Committee.
5. To promote POCT quality and safety regulations and directives enabling the Trust to meet the requirements of: MHRA guidelines, ISO22870 standards and relevant CQC and NHSLA standards.

Clinical Responsibilities

1. To develop knowledge of clinical conditions and patient pathways that may benefit from introducing POCT.

1. To develop an awareness of where the routine running of clinical areas and demands on their staff may compromise POCT being performed to acceptable standards.

1. To be familiar with all specialist POCT devices and equipment used throughout BTHFT.
2. To act as a resource to medical/nursing/Allied Healthcare Professional (AHP) staff, supporting and giving advice/information on POCT to ensure safe use of equipment.
3. To advise end-users and clinicians as to how best to proceed during times of technical failure and analyser downtime (i.e. maintenance shutdowns) whilst ensuring continuity of clinical services.
4. To provide an effective link between the laboratories and medical/nursing/AHP staff so that problems and adverse incidents can be fully investigated.
5. To advise end-users of clinical conditions and therapies in which a POCT device would be contraindicated.
6. To advise clinicians and end-users in complex situations regarding appropriate use of tests and interpretation of results where applicable.
7. To support the Research and Development Department in trials where POCT methods are utilised.

Clinical Governance

1. To perform quality audits.
2. To work with the POCT Lead and POCT Team to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of the service provided.
3. To support the POCT Lead and POCT Team with the validation, implementation and change control processes when required.
4. To investigate report and document POCT adverse incidents/near misses, in line with divisional incident investigation processes and the Trusts Clinical Governance strategy.
5. To ensure that learning from mistakes is fully communicated to all clinical teams and that action plans are implemented and fully complied with.
6. To participate in clinical governance structures by ensuring any concerns are notified and communicated appropriately.
7. To participate in POCT vendor and MHRA reporting of serious adverse incidents.
8. Utilise current evidence and best practice in all areas of clinical work.

Policy

1. To contribute to and update Standard Operating Procedures for POCT.
2. To work in line with Trust policy and Caldicott/Data Protection Act requirements, maintaining patient confidentiality.

Supervisory Duties

1. To supervise the work of Associate Practitioners, Support Workers and POCT end-users Trust wide as directed by the POCT Lead.
2. To deputise for the POCT Advanced Practitioner and POCT Lead as required.
3. To be responsible for the efficient and effective use of materials for all POCT methods within and outside of the laboratory.
4. To liaise with other staff and departments as required.

Administrative Duties

1. To provide first-line support for telephone queries.
2. To maintain databases of POCT operators (including training/competence status) and POCT devices.
3. To review data management systems linked to POCT devices to monitor and audit the safe use of equipment.
4. To review patient test results on data management systems with a view to identifying potentially erroneous results or non-conformance with standard operating procedures.
5. To maintain records for External Quality Assurance and Proficiency Testing and submitting results to national scheme organisers.
6. To produce POCT quality audit reports.
7. To produce and update POCT information on SharePoint.
8. To monitor and review stock levels of POCT consumables as appropriate.
9. To order consumables as and when required.
10. To support the administration needs of the POCT Group and take minutes as required.

Training / Development / Communication

1. To develop, organise and deliver training sessions on POCT devices, based on the POCT Standard Operating Procedures, for medical, nursing and AHP staff who use POCT devices/methods.
2. To provide informal education and advice on best POCT practice when visiting clinical areas.
3. To participate in staff induction days to introduce best practice for POCT.
4. To work in collaboration with the Trust Training and Development Department in order to develop and implement appropriate educational training programmes.
5. To contribute to educational/publicity material for Trust staff and external NHS organisations.
6. To facilitate with training of POCT Team members.
7. To ensure personal compliance with regards to mandatory, professional and personal development according to service needs.
8. To ensure personal compliance with professional codes of conduct.
9. To ensure personal compliance with Continuous Professional Development guidelines and laboratory schemes.
10. To attend and contribute to department Service Review meetings.
11. To maintain awareness of future needs and contribute towards service development
12. To participate in annual appraisal.

Patient Liaison

1. To support end-users of POCT Trust wide, this may be in clinical areas leading to some patient contact.
2. To provide basic maintenance and troubleshooting of POCT devices in clinical areas when required.
3. To perform evaluation of POCT devices which may require extra patient samples for comparison studies Patient contact may be required to gain consent and/or samples from the patient.

Additional information

Physical Effort

1. Substantial periods of time using computers will frequently be required.
2. Moderate exertion may be required if POCT devices / equipment need to be lifted or moved for troubleshooting, maintenance or implementation purposes.

Mental Effort

1. Prolonged concentration will be required to undergo tasks including but not restricted to; development of procedural documents or participation in change control, investigative work in a current study / evaluation or when undergoing quality audits.
2. On occasion where an urgent issue arises with a POCT device the post holder may be required to commence a new activity immediately.

Working Conditions

1. Frequent exposure to reagents/chemicals and bodily fluids.

Emotional Effort

1. On rare occasions the post holder may witness a distressing scene in clinical areas when working POCT devices.
2. The post holder may be indirectly exposed to distressing or emotional circumstances via incident reports, audits and/or reporting of patient results.

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Relevant professional/scientific qualification to degree level or higher
• Current registration with HCPC or registration with NMC or equivalent
• Post graduate Diploma (IBMS Specialist portfolio or equivalent)
• Evidence of continuing professional development / professional portfolio

Desirable

• Working towards further professional / developmental qualification

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• oSignificant demonstrable evidence of practice as a qualified biomedical scientist / equivalent healthcare professional
• oEvidence of good organisational and planning skills
• oExperience of manual and automated (POCT) techniques
• oSupervision of trainee staff and medical laboratory assistants or healthcare assistants
• oTeam working
• oAbility to work under pressure
• oAbility to work unsupervised
• oAptitude to change
• oAbility to prioritise

Desirable

• oKnowledge of local and national issues affecting POCT services
• oKnowledge of MHRA standards on POCT
• oUKAS standards on POCT (ISO 15189:2022)
• oExperience within improvement projects
• oTeaching or lecturing in both internal and external locations
• oIncident review
• oHandling complaints and queries
• oExperience of change management and/or action planning
• oExperience working within disciplines of pathology
• oExperience of client / customer liaison

SKILLS AND ABILITY

Essential

• oExcellent written communication skills
• oExcellent computer skills (proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook)
• oCritical analysis skills
• oEvidence of skills in diplomacy and negotiation
• oSafe handling of hazardous materials, Health and Safety
• oGood laboratory practice and organisational skills
• oEncourages participation from all staff
• oFull UK driving license and access to a car
• oAbility to work across all BTHFT sites
• oFlexible working

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Blackpool Victoria Hospital

Whinney Heys Rd

Blackpool

FY3 8NR

Employer's website

https://www.bfwh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)